updated 12:09 pm EST, Fri November 16, 2012

Wii U won't get TVii-enabling patch until sometime in December

When the Nintendo Wii U arrives in North American stores on November 18, it won't have access to its promised and expected video streaming services, including Nintendo's own TVii interface that will lead to third-party services such as Amazon Instant Video, Netflix, and Hulu Plus. According to Nintendo, the TVii feature will arrive over a software update sometime in December. An arrival date for the other service is less defined, with Nintendo saying only that they will arrive in the coming weeks.

The consoles don't have the functionality enabled out of the box, as a patch promised to arrive on day one was said to enable it. Said patch won't arrive until sometime next month, however.

Reasons for the delay weren't revealed, though it's likely the system isn't yet ready and Nintendo is working out some bugs. The TVii functionality is said to be exclusive to the US and Canada, so the system's later launch in Europe and Japan isn't likely to affect the launch. The Wii U isn't due to launch in Europe until November 30 while Japan will get it even later, on December 8.

The TVii will let users view program guides for cable and satellite providers and access YouTube and other common video on demand services. Users can also comment on and share Twitter, Facebook, and Miiverse content.